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You might not have known it was him but without question you’ll have heard Quincy Jones’s influence on many of the 20th century’s biggest pop hits.

As a music producer and multi-instrumentalist, he understood the craft of record-making intimately.

It was that deep understanding of music which meant he was capable of reworking Fly Me To The Moon – taking it from Waltz to Swing for Frank Sinatra – just as he helped the likes of Michael Jackson to find his solo style, with pop masterpieces like Billie Jean.

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Quincy Jones, the music producer and composer, has died at the age of 91

There’s having connections within the music industry, and then there are the 19 mobile phones Jones’s security guard apparently carried around for him.

Celebrities wanted him to have their number – his musical approval mattered.

Grammy winners Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie pose together backstage at the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles, on February 26, 1986. (AP Photo)
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(L-R) Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Jones, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1986. Pic: AP

Of course, having that knowledge and universal respect meant he could get away with saying more than most.

While many artists shy away from the controversy that comes with having genuine opinions about others, Jones wasn’t one to self-censor.

Elvis, he claimed, was a racist that he wouldn’t work with.

The Beatles, he said, were “the worst musicians in the world”. (Although he later apologised to Sir Paul McCartney.)

No artist was above criticism, as it should be.

Jones with film star Eddie Murphy in 1991. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Jones with film star Eddie Murphy in 1991. Pic: Reuters

During the recording of We Are The World, as he wrangled the egos of 46 of the biggest singers of all time, he apparently only allowed Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to contribute ideas.

He reportedly told Jackson to “just do what you’re told.”

Read more:
Music legend Quincy Jones dies, aged 91
Quincy Jones’s best-known collaborations

Quincy Jones and Nastassja Kinski shake hands with a fan December 31 (BM add - 1993)
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Jones and Nastassja Kinski in 1993. Pic: Reuters

Jackson – and the music world at large – listened because Jones knew what he was talking about.

His career as a black music executive was pioneering. His deftness with music, and his ability to hear how to make an artist better, means he leaves behind a legacy that will outlive us all.

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer

Former US president Joe Biden has prostate cancer, his office has said. 

The statement said Mr Biden, who left the White House in January, is reviewing options for treatment with his physicians.

It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.

“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the State Department in Washington, U.S. January 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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File pic: Reuters

According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and the disease is “likely to grow quickly”.

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A source familiar with Mr Biden and his family’s thinking has told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that the former president is considering “multiple treatment options” – including hormone treatment for the cancer.

They added he is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and that as of now, it is unclear where the former president will be treated.

Mr Biden, 82, was the oldest person to ever serve as president, with concerns about his health raised regularly during his campaign for re-election last year.

After a poor debate against Donald Trump in June, he withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.

In February 2023, he had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York’s Brooklyn Bridge – as reports say three injured

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York's Brooklyn Bridge - as reports say three injured

A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.

The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.

Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.

Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

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The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.

A New York Police Department harbour unit prepares to board the Cuauhtemoc. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.

It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.

The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.

The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.

Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.

The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.

“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
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Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”

It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.

“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.

The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.

“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
Image:
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).

A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.

The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.

Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.

Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”

Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.

California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.

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